Safety device for automobiles



Nov. 20, 1923.

L. FRASER SAFETY DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 51, 1923 Patented Nov. 20, 1923.

UNITED STATES LEVING FRASER. OF OSCEOLA, ARKANSAS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed Kay 31, 1923. Serial No. 642,631.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEvINo FRASER, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Osceola, in the county of Mississippi and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety devices for automobiles, and has for an object the provision of novel means for disconnecting the ignition circuit of an internal combustion engine if the pressure of the lubricating system is reduced to the danger point; the said device operating automatically when the said pressure is reduced.

It is well known that if the oil in the crank case of a motor becomes unduly thin, or the oil supply is diminished, the pump of the lubricating system loses pressure and there is a dearth of lubrication which re sults in injury to the parts of the engine.

It is an object of this invention to produce novel means for establishing an initial circuit, by manually operated means, through the ignition system, and to provide an auxiliary means for establishing a circuit through said system operated by the oil pressure and maintained to be in operative position during the normal oil pressure; novel means being also provided for interrupting the c1rcuit, should the pressure in the lubricating system fall below the degree of safety.

With the foregoing and other objects 1n view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 illustrates a. sectional view of the ignition control, the same being partly in elevation; I

Figure 2 illustrates a sectional view of the device on a line corresponding with the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 illustrates a view in elevation of the face of the device.

In these drawings, 5 denotes an instrument board such as is commonly employed in automobiles, the same having an aperture 6 through which a lever 7 extends and in which it may oscillate.

board, but as the means for securing the device in place does not form a part of the invention, further details thereof are believed unnecessary.

A face plate 11 having a slotted dial 12 is applied to the outer surface of the insulat- 8. and the arm 7 extends through the slot of the dial and has an indicator 13 on its outer end that moves with relation to certain graduations on the outer surface of the dial in order that an operator may know whether there is any movement of the lever under the influence of the oil pressure, as will presently appear.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the face plate has an aperture 14 in which a push button 15 is located, the said push button being yieldingly supported by a spring 16 forming a part of a switch. The spring has a terminal 17 to which a conductor may be connected to establish a circuit 86 through the ignition system. A conducting plate 18 is located on the insulating plate and it may be suitably connected in circuit with the ignition system in order that when the push button is pressed inwardly, a circuit will be established through the ignitionsystem when the motor is started. After the motor has run a very short time, and practically momentarily, motors that have a suitable supply of lubricant will develop a pressure on the lubricating system, and it is the purpose of the inventor that the pressure of the lubricant shall operate a switch of the ignition system to establish a circuit, which will serve to operate the engine so that the operator'may remove pressure from the push button 15 and disconnect the circuit established b such pressure.

The switc in the present embodiment of the invention, comprises two spring contacts, and the device is preferably in the nature of a knife switch in which the conductors 19 and 20 are connected in the ignition circuit, and the knife blade 27 of the switch moves between the contacts 19 and 20 to complete the circuit. The blade 27 is carried by the inner end of the lever 7, and the said lever is oscillatably mounted on the bracket 22 that is supported by the insulating plate 9, and therefore, as the lever oscillates, the blade is moved into and out of engagenient with the contacts 19 and 20.

A pipe 23 is to be connected to the lubricating system, and the said pipe has a coupling 2a to which a diaphragm 25 is connccted, the said diaphragm preferably being of a spun copper construction, capable of expanding or retracting under the influence of the oil pressure. The diaphragm may have a head 26 with a pivot 21 connecting it to the lever 7, and hence as the diaphragm expands, the head will move outwardly and the blade 27 will be forced between the contacts of the switch to establish the circuit for the ignition system. The degree of movement of the diaphragm will be indicated on the dial, as will be apparent, and as the pressure increases or diminishes, the graduations on the dial will inform the operator just what variations in'pressure are taking place during the operation of the engine.

I claim:

In a safety device for automobiles, an insulating plate having an aperture, a lever mounted for oscillation on the insulating plate and having a portion projecting through the aperture of said plate, an Oll pressure operated device connected to the lever, a switch element carried by the lever, switch elements with relation to which the switch element on the lever coacts, a face plate having a slot in which the lever oscillates, means for connecting the said face plate to the first mentioned insulating plate, said face plate having an aperture therein, contacts mounted adjacent said aperture and a switch closing element projecting through said aperture for engaging the contacts;

LEVING FRASER. 

